Senators Introduce Bill Requiring a Code of Ethics For Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is speaking with one voice in response to recent criticism of the justices' ethical practices: No need to fix what isn't broken. The justices' response on Tuesday struck some critics and ethics experts as tone deaf at a time of heightened attention on the justices' travel and private business transactions. The most recent stories about the questionable ethics practices of justices began earlier this month. First came a ProPublica investigation that revealed that Thomas has for more than two decades accepted luxury trips nearly every year from Republican mega donor Harlan Crow without reporting them on financial disclosure forms. A week later, ProPublica revealed in a new story that Crow had purchased three properties belonging to Thomas and his family, a transaction worth more than $100,000 that Thomas never disclosed. Politico reported more recently that when Justice Neil Gorsuch sold property he co-owned shortly after becoming a justice. The series of revelations has provoked outcry and calls for reform particularly from Democrats. On Wednesday, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Angus King, the independent from Maine, announced legislation that would require the Supreme Court to create a code of conduct and appoint an official to oversee potential conflicts and public complaints. Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak with Abbie VanSickle, Supreme Court reporter at the New York Times and Charles Geyh, Indiana University law professor and legal ethics expert about what a code of ethics for the Supreme Court might look like, and whether Supreme Court justices should be held to similar standards as other federal justices, who are required to comply with a code of ethics.

With files from the Associated Press

Lawmakers Want To Keep Dialing Into Meetings – How Might This Affect Public Participation In The Political Process?

California has long had laws protecting the public’s access to meetings of legislative bodies and public agencies. During the pandemic, Governor Newsom issued an executive order permitting those meetings to take place online, allowing officials and the public to participate by phone or Zoom. Now that the State of Emergency is over, meetings are in the flesh again–for now. Several bills have recently been proposed to allow more remote meetings. Proponents for the new legislation say this increases public access to government. But do we lose something when government officials can literally phone it in? How do online meetings help–or hurt–the public’s access to their representatives? And what’s the most effective way to communicate with your rep in this digital age? Joining us to discuss are David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition and Jan Perry, former member of the Los Angeles City Council.

I’m Just ‘Thinking Out Loud’ But How Do High Profile Copyright Lawsuits Impact Musicians’ Creative Process?

Singer Ed Sheeran took the witness stand in a New York courtroom this week to deny allegations that his hit song “Thinking Out Loud” ripped off Marvin Gaye’s soul classic “Let’s Get It On.”

Sheeran, 32, was called to testify in the civil trial by the heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer on the 1973 soul classic. The family has accused the English star of violating their copyright, claiming his 2014 hit bore “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” to the famed Gaye track. This is not the first high-profile copyright trial in popular music with major musicians like Katy Perry, Robin Thicke and Led Zeppelin all being accused of copying other songs. Today on AirTalk, we discuss where copyright laws stand when it comes to music and how they impact the creative process of creating art. Joining to discuss is Christopher Buccafusco, Edward & Ellen Schwarzman professor of law at Duke University specializing in copyright and intellectual property law, and Carol Dunn, executive producer of west coast at the music company Human and president of the National Board of the Association of Music Producers.

With files from the Associated Press

FilmWeek: ‘Are You There God? It's Me Margaret,’ ‘Big George Foreman,’ and ‘R.M.N’

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Wade Major review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

• “Are You There God? It's Me Margaret” Wide Release 
• “Big George Foreman” Wide Release 
• “R.M.N” Wide Release 
• “Sisu” Wide Release
• “Other People’s Children” Laemmle Royal [West LA]
• “Peter Pan And Wendy” Streaming on Disney+
• “Polite Society” Wide Release 
• “Freaks Vs. The Reich” Laemmle Glendale
• “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” Laemmle Glendale 
• “Snag” In Select Theaters
• “The End Of Sex” In Select theaters

John Horn Talks About The Ever-Evolving Film Industry At CinemaCon

What started as a gathering of movie theater owners in the 1970s, CinemaCon today is the largest annual convention for the theater industry with attendees from 80 different counties. Goers watch upcoming scores and movies. This year’s event happened this past week in Las Vegas and LAist art and entertainment reporter John Horn was there. He sat down with John Fithian, the outgoing President and CEO of The National Association of theater Owners, to talk about the evolution and significant impacts within the film industry.